This podcast explores the divergent educational paths of India and China since their post-independence eras, revealing how their differing priorities shaped their economic and social destinies.
India, from its earliest days under Prime Minister Nehru, adopted a "top-down" approach, heavily investing in elite institutions like the IITs to produce world-class engineers. While IITs changed thousands of lives, this focus led to the neglect of primary school infrastructure and basic education, resulting in widespread illiteracy and millions trapped in farming. India's literacy rate was only 28% in the 1960s, and even today, many primary students lack basic reading and math skills.
In stark contrast, China pursued a "bottom-up" revolution, making primary education compulsory and focusing on teaching millions basic literacy and numerical skills. By the 1980s, China's adult illiteracy was 22% compared to India's 60%.
This foundational education enabled millions to transition from farms to industrial and service sectors, transforming China into a manufacturing powerhouse and fostering widespread economic mobility. The podcast delves into why education has not been a political priority in India, leading to a system that, unlike China's, has failed to uplift the masses.
